The combination of the Port State Control system that is currently in operation and the tactics employed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for the introduction of rules and regulations for safety and pollution prevention at sea, led to the establishment of a system which has the potential to bring about significant changes. These changes extend beyond the area of safety and pollution prevention, reaching areas lying entirely beyond the scope of IMO, and actually affecting directly private maritime law. The relevant provisions of the law of the sea are outlined, in order to...